Calf roping and steer roping, both major rodeo events, are sports pursued by many individuals.
Calf roping is an event in which a calf, released from a chute at one end of an arena, runs generally to the opposite side of the arena. A mounted roper pursues the calf and attempts to lasso the calf around the neck. When successful, the rider stops the calf, dismounts, throws the calf on its side, and ties three of the calves legs together with a rope. The winner of such a competition is the rider with the shortest time interval between the release of the calf, and the completion of the tying of the legs together.
Steer roping is an event in which a horned steer is released from a chute at one end of an arena, and runs generally to the opposite end of the arena. Two mounted ropers, the header and the heeler, give chase on either side of the steer. The header lassos the horns of the steer and "tows" the steer in a leftward circle. The heeler then lassos the hind legs of the steer. Both ropers then back their horses in opposite directions, causing the steer to drop and become immobile. The team with the shortest time interval between the release of the steer, and the immobilization of the steer is victorious.
To master the necessary skills requires a great deal of practice, both for the rider/roper and for the horse. This practice is best obtained by the repetitious pursuing and roping of the running animal. There are numerous burdens associated with the use of live animals for this purpose, however. The beasts must be corralled, controlled, fed and otherwise maintained. The practice area must be enclosed, and further problems may be encountered in the form of zoning or pollution regulations.
In an effort to avoid these problems, mechanical targets have been designed to substitute for the live animals. For examples of these earlier inventions, see McCord, U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,098 and Parsons, U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,799.
In view of the techniques involved, it becomes obvious that an apparatus appropriate for calf roping is not inherently suitable for steer roping. There is an important size variance between the two animals, and the horns of the steer would be obstructive to the practice of lassoing the calf by the neck. Further, a tow-cable release mechanism suitable for a calf roping apparatus may not be compatible with a steer roping apparatus.